Chances are you became a solution provider because of an affinity for technology, not because you love financial management. But keeping an eye on accounting and cash flow is essential to ensure you're in it for the long haul. And Ingram Micro Financial Solutions can help with credit and capital services designed to ease cash flow challenges.

If becoming a cloud provider is challenging your profitability, you’re not alone, says Jason Bystrak, executive director, cloud, North America, Ingram Micro. He teamed up with market development executive Melanie DelValle to relate solutions for the two most common hurdles.

If you’re looking for a way to coax customers closer to a signed contract, then it’s time to give leasing and financing a fresh look.

By contacting Ingram Micro early in the sales cycle, solution providers can provide their customers with technology quotes combined with financing or leasing details that include thecustomer’s projected monthly payment. “This makes the sales process more palatable,” says Melanie DelValle, market development executive, Ingram Micro Financial Solutions. “Customers can more easily see how it matches their cash flow and fits with their budget.”

Most customers aren’t sitting on a pile of cash for IT upgrades, so the ability to offer financing can make the buying cycle smoother for them. "The end user doesn’t have to go the bank, or anywhere else. We can do it in a streamlined sales cycle,” says DelValle.

The more options solution providers can offercustomers, the greater the likelihood they’ll close the deal. “We can help them with offering their clients a wide range of options from net 30 to fully customized payments, including monthly, quarterly or annually if that better fits their sales cycle,” DelValle explains. Ingram Micro also can incorporate costs for services, installation and training into the deal.

Solution providers can take advantage of Ingram Micro Lease-IT! or vendor-specific leasing programs, including HP, Cisco and IBM, which are also offered by Ingram Micro. The other upside to lease agreements? They automatically create a new selling opportunity. “If you’re doing a 36-month lease with a customer, you can follow up at month 30 and provide themthe latest technology solution, emphasizing they can still make that affordable monthly payment,” DelValle says.

Regardless of the opportunity, smart solution providers will involve Ingram Micro as early in the sales process as possible to maximize their leasing and financing options. “We have a dedicated team to help them through this process, so even for those who are new to leasing, we make sure everything is handled appropriately,” DelValle adds.

With a good credit record and a substantial project on the line for a major city, Long Island, N.Y.-based QnA Tech sought financing options to close a nearly $750,000 deal. Not only was the project more than three times larger than the solution provider’s average, several million dollars in future opportunities were also at stake.

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